The Cecil Whig., 1887-07-02

one Tedu II. leTnaIS JealotlSly ploihp-
ted her, and she fancicd that she might
have discovered rivals billet-doux. At
all events, she read it and learned from it
all the truth. Charged with it, | could
not deny the facts.
| could only vow that l loved her and
her alone Poor child. AS she listened
| saw all hope and sweetness die out OF
her face White and desparing, with her
eyes dilating and her lips set hard, she
looked at me and said nothing. She
drowned herself in the Seine that night,
and when next | saw her it was upon
marble slab in the morgue, her hands
upon her breast, her hair falling about
her like black veil, my ring upon her
finger. My friend, | did not marry Mile.
Morgan. R9morse overwhelmed me at
last. | confessed all to my father, broke
my engagement, and, leaving home and
friends behind me- enlisted IN the army.
sought death. Those who seek him he
shuns | was called a brave man. Who
that hated life would not be brave9
When you knew me wore epaulattes.
| need not tell you of my soldiers life
or of the wounds by which | was inva-
lided,
Hearing of them, my father, who had
at last forgiven me, bestowed upon me
his pardon and gave me this little place
at St. Sauveur Here have lived ever
since, a helpless, shattered wreck, almost
incapable of motion. 1t is five years
since | came here, and at the end OF the
second began the incredible part of my
story.
My tempter, as you know, was none of
the best, and hated the sight of man at
times. Greatly as needed him, | often
drove my attached old soldier servant
from me, and one day when | had done
this sat alone i'll my great chair by the
seaward window of my sleeping apart
ment, when a very strange thing hap
pened to me. felt a hand upon my head.
1t was women'S hand, soft and warm
and gentle. 1t trifed with my curls in
fashion that thrilled me with memories
of the past.
was not frightened. T was simply
perplexed. | spoke. said: 'ls some
one near me whom do not see?' but
there was no answer. Soon | fell asleep.
luled as a babe might be my its mothers
caresses by that phantom touch.
This happened more than once. Then
still stranger things occurred. | became
| aware that some ministering creature
was near me- Inanimate objects were
moved toward me at my need without
any visible human agency.
Books were brought within my reach.
Flowers were plucked from off the vines
without the door. \ glass of wine was
poured out and set before me, and after
all these little offices came soft caresses.
A kiss, a touch of a hand upon my cheek
The most loving and tender being was
this spirit, and longed to see it with a
longing indescribable. was no longer
unhappy. | grew almost gay. | still
drove my servant away, but it was that
this unseen being might manifest itself
to me.
You, my dear friend, remember, used
to congratulate me on my recovered spir-
| its. | never told you the cause. dreaded
| that a revelation of the truth might drive
my spirit love forever from my side.
have told you all there is to tell, |
think. After all, when one comes to
write it down it is not so much. | sum
it up in these few words: Whenever |
was alone this unseen form was beside
me. At night l felt woman's check
| against my own, hand upon my brow,
| a breath mingling with my own; by day
there was a loving, ministering creature
at my side. | prayed for an audible word,
for the glimpse of this fond being, over
and over again, but heard and saw moth
ing. The longing within me grew intense
| | pleaded with Heaven for more than had
been given me. AT last my prayer was
answered. My own hand was seized as
lssat at my writing table. Great irregu-
lar characters were dashed across the
paper. They read thus:
You ask for what would give you
pain. Let matters remain as they are.
One is near you who loves you so that
her spirit has won its way earthward to
minister unto You"
| wrote beneath these lines: Let me
see her."
And then this was written:
you shall have your way. Tonight
you shall see her."
How | waited for tonight's coming.
How eagerly my eyes sought to pierce
the shadows of the gathering twilight.
| sent my servant away upon an errand
which must detain him for hours. and |
forbade him to light lamp.
AS the shadows thickened | grew more
and more restless. Had been deceived?
Would my wish actually be gratited?
Where were the hands that were usually
lowering about me? What was this feel
|
wandered from spot to spot. They saw
nothing. The room grew dark. It was
a moonless night. and only the pale stars
looked in between my window curtains.
Still watched, growing hol ele s, fear
ing that | had driven my ministering
spirit from me; but at last, as | sat star
ing into vacancy, hight more brilliant
tnan the starlight filed the room. AS Is
grew low, soft breathing like that of a
mui1ed drum fell upon my ear, and
slowly, amid the soft, hazy radiance, a
picture began to grow-a female figure
living prone, with its hands upon its
breast, and wealth of hair falling about
it like veil AT first mere outline, at
last vivid III every form and nt,-a dead
women, with eyes half open, and pale
lips apart-a beautiful, awful thing
Airline, as had seen her last, in the
awful silence of the morgue.
My friend. the time is coming fast
when | shall also pass into the world she
has so long inhabited. Shall | meet her
there? | am not worthy, and | know it
well, but if parted human soul, the soul
of weak and rash woman like airline,
can thus forgive, what may we not hope
from an august Creator? | await the
hour; that sweet spirit comes no more uc
me. The bonds of life are breaking. Be
yond the darkness faint lis ht is shining
and it may be that her hands shall CLASP
mine vet somewhere beyond the reach OF
SIN and sorrow.
Adieu, my friend. Whether thou be
!, lievest me mad or not, thou shalt know
my story. Thine, ADoLrH LIE MAR.
. Colonel Aestayer folded the paper anC
placed it in his bosom. He shed a few
tears over it, and he pondered over i
many hours. Wether he thought his
poor friend mad do not know. He die
not say SO when he handed the manu-
script to me, nor have | formed any con
clusion upon the subject.
\ singular instance of the contagious
> ness of consumption is related by ;
French medical journal. A young mai
, who had contracted bronchitis married
healthy woman. Within year he dice
of consumption; not long atterward hi
| widows lungs were found to ho fatal,
diseased; and their child speedily fol
lowed them. One Of their neigh borS
y robust young woman, was suddenly at
, tackled with the same disease. While
she had called repeatedly at tue house OF
the cousumptive family, she had neve
remained in the sick room over night
,; but she had eaten chickens which hal
been killed on their farm AS it was re
ported that several of these fowls hat
died prematurcly, the medical authori
L 1 Al -. / I.